If you want growth, you have to dig
Elephant? Nope. Blue whale? Nah. Giant redwood? Portuguese man o’ war? Ship-sinking, sailor-snackin’ kraken from the deep? No, nay, nein.
The answer is a honey mushroom in Oregon.
Yep. All the different little sprouting bits were genetically tested and confirmed to be one individual organism that’s linked underground.
And you thought Humongous Fungus was just the name of your cousin’s terrible post-hardcore band.
Just like that massive mushroom, your brand might look like lots of different things above the surface – a logo, an attitude, a tone of voice, a tagline, a product, a customer service ethos, a colour palette – but they all share a root system. They don’t thrive in isolation. They all grow from the same source.
And, just like it was with the sizable shroom, finding that single source is a messy task. You can’t do it from a safe distance. And you certainly can’t do it from the surface. You have to get dirt under your fingernails. To dig down like a brand insight truffle pig, snorting and snuffling in the soil – asking the difficult questions, rummaging around for a sniff of something different, something intriguing, some aromatic nugget to hang your brand on.
When you go deep, you’ll start to see connections that weren’t clear from the surface. You’ll be able to see which shoots were weeds, and which are nutrient-rich. You’ll probably uncover a few creepy-crawlies, but you’ll find the roots that your future can grow from.
And when you follow a process this thorough, you’ll also find your secret weapon: confidence.
A fence doesn’t stand without a deeply-set post. And a brand can’t stand on insecure shoulders.
When you’re least sure, To you’re most likely to hedge your bets. do something nebulous and fluffy. To waste time and money on work that wouldn’t stand out in a camouflage factory.
You can’t just plonk spires and minarets on top of good intentions and vague hopes. They have to sit on solid stonework.
The reassuring masonry of meticulously thought-out strategy will give you the base you need to feel secure. The conviction to cut through.
Everything gets easier when you have that deep-rooted, shared understanding of what your brand stands for. It runs almost subconsciously through every exchange and every decision made. One goal, one ethos, one team.
Your favourite singer’s tone comes from deep in their core, not from their lips.
Your car runs on what’s under the bonnet, not what colour it is.
If you’re thinking about organising a creative pitch for brand development work, think very carefully about how important depth is to your brand’s future.
Most problems aren’t solved at surface level.
If you wanna be a big shroom, you’ll have to dig a little deeper than that.
For more thoughts from StudioLR, a design agency in Edinburgh – discover other articles on our blog like our recent piece, ‘Be your own species’.
